• Faith – Light a candle as a symbol of your faith before setting out. A prayer as you cross stiles.
• Penance – No complaining. Instead say, “Thanks be to God.”
• Community – Include ‘the stranger’ in your group—no ‘cliques.’
• Mystery – Silence observed at certain designated parts of Tóchar.
• Change of Heart – What is God suggesting you must change about yourself?
• Celebration – Share your food, your joy, your love, and your care.

These six pillars were the guiding principles of the  1st Ecumenical Transatlantic Pilgrimage that began at St. Finian’s on Saturday 25th May and ended at St. Finian’s last Sunday, 2nd June with an Agape Feast Celebration with piano, harp and Uillean Pipe music and poetry by Irish poet John F. Deane.

"Seeking God Together, Spirituality in Hard Times" was the theme. It was four years in the making and brought together Lutherans and Roman Catholics, a member of the Old Catholic Church and one from the Presbyterian Church. The 21 pilgrims came from our partner community University Lutheran Chapel Berkeley, California, from Minnesota, from Cologne and Konstanz in Germany, from Claremorris in Co. Mayo, from Cork, Belfast and from Dublin.

After a joyful opening Eucharist service in our beloved St. Finian’s Church with an individual blessing for each pilgrim, our journey first turned inward as we tried to read the signs of the times we live in and reflected on what a faith informed response might look like. We then travelled to Kildare where we learnt about the ministry of St. Brigid, bridge-builder, peace-maker, abbess, and, yes, first bishop of Kildare (!), and how it can inspire us 1500 years on. Our pilgrimage culminated in a three-day hike on the Tóchar Phádraic, St. Parick’s Causeway the ancient pilgrims path from Ballintubber Abbey in Co. Mayo to and up Croagh Patrick. It is a path that has been travelled by seekers for more than two millennia as Croagh Patrick was considered a holy mountain well before the arrival of Patrick and Christianity.

We were blessed by the best conceivable weather, blue skies and sunshine, wonderful views over Clew Bay and the mountains of Mayo and Galway and a cooling breeze to keep us fresh. Along the way friendships formedand deepened as we lived the 6 pillars. All of us have arrived back safely in our respective everyday lives but filled with joy and energy to face the hard times that we live in. Buiochas le Día, “Thanks be to God”.